


Too Anxious to Fall

by wintermocha



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Frustration, M/M, banju confession included, please protect these babies, soft azami
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23404768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintermocha/pseuds/wintermocha
Summary: Azami questions why Kumon is always so nice to him and often tries to hang out with him. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that maybe he actually feels more for Kumon than he initially thought, as much as he wants to deny it...
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri, Hyoudou Kumon/Izumida Azami
Comments: 2
Kudos: 112





	1. Miscommunication

Ever since Azami came into Mankai Company, Kumon was always the friendliest to him, even though he wasn't even an official member yet, and he was also the one Azami found himself to be spending the most time with one-on-one.

One day, after Autumn Troupe's practice, Azami spotted Kumon helping Tsuzuru cook dinner in the kitchen. He slowly and quietly proceeded towards his and Sakyo's room, not wanting to be noticed since he was tired, until Kumon called out to him.

"Hey Azami! Good work today!"

"Yeah, thanks." Azami replied monotonously.

"Hey, wanna help us with dinner?"

"Sorry, I'm pretty tired right now. Next time, though."

"Aww ok... Oh wait, when you're done resting, can you come back here please?"

"..Okay."

"Yay! Thanks!"

Azami continued walking to his room, but without realizing, a subtle smile had formed on his lips after his little conversation with Kumon.

As he gathered his clothes before heading to the bath, Sakyo went in their room, and noticed Azami smiling to himself.

"Someone seems to be in a good mood."

"Haah? I'm not..."

"Then wipe off that dumb smile on your face."

"What smile?!" Azami exclaimed as he threw his facial moisturizer bottle at Sakyo.

"*sigh* Whatever, it's gone now." Sakyo replied somewhat teasingly as he tossed the bottle back.

Azami just grumbled to himself as he picked his things up and brisk walked to the bath. As he got in, he sighed deeply to himself.

"Hey, hey, what's with the long sigh, huh?" a familiar voice called out.

"Ah, Banri. It's nothing." he replied as Banri entered the bath as well. 

"Haha! Sounds fun in here." another voice said.

"Ooh! Looks like we all had the same idea, huh?" another one said.

"Well, practice today was more exhausting than usual, so it's no surprise we all wanna take a nice, relaxing dip after." Banri said as Omi and Taichi both got in too.

"So what were you guys talking about just now?" Taichi asked.

"I-It's nothing, really.." Azami replied while looking away from them.

"Lemme guess. It's either got something to do with Sakyo or makeup." Banri said.

"Well, you got shithead Sakyo right."

"What did he do this time?" Taichi asked.

"Not much. Just teased me as usual.."

"Well, that's nothing new." Omi teased.

"Not you too..." Azami muttered out loud.

Just then, Juza came in, surprised to see almost everyone else there too.

"Oi. Why the fuck did you come here now..?!" Banri hissed in annoyance.

"To use the bath, duh. 'Sides, ya didn't tell me _you_ were gonna come here, either." Juza argued as he got in and purposely sat beside Banri just to annoy him.

"Get the fuck away from me! You fuckin' smell, ya bastard!" Banri yelled and quickly inched away from him as the others were just amused with their usual banters. "Oi, Azami! Switch with me!"

"Pff! No way! Wouldn't wanna sit next to Juza if he smells, as you say." Azami said with a smug, yet entertained smile.

"Argh! Move then, Taichi!"

"Not happening~!" Taichi teased, which earned him a hard splash of water to his face from Banri.

"Ow! Banny, that hurt!" he whined, but still proceeded to hit Banri back.

"Nice, relaxing dip, my ass..." Azami muttered.

"C'mon guys, stop playing in the bath like kids already." Omi said, trying to sound stern, but his smile and tone gave away how much fun he was having watching them act so childishly.

"Shaddap! All of you are too loud!" Sakyo yelled as he came in, ready to get in the bath as well.

The two immediately stopped, and Banri just gave in and continued to sit next to Juza. Even though he kept complaining earlier, he didn't look upset nor entirely disgusted when they settled down.

"Sheesh! I'd expect that you guys know how to relax in a communal bath by now..." Sakyo sighed to himself.

"That just goes for Banri and Taichi, though." Azami commented.

"That's true." Omi added.

"Hey!" the two protested in unison. "Same can be said about Hyodo too, you know?" Banri defended.

"The hell did _I_ do? I just sat here." Juza said.

"Be quiet already, you animals! Or talk normally, at least!" Sakyo scolded once more.

Everyone instantly fell silent, except for Omi and Azami, who were quietly chuckling amongst themselves, knowing they had nothing to do with the noise earlier at all. Sakyo noticed this, but just smiled subtly to himself. After a minute or so of awkward silence, the troupe started to engage in small talk, and after another ten minutes, Azami left the bath first, then as promised, he went back to the kitchen for Kumon after getting dressed.

"Oh, hey, you're back!" Kumon called out. 

"Yeah, so, what did you want?"

"Here!" Kumon exclaimed as he put a plastic bag from the convenience store on the table.

"What's this..?" Azami asked as he peeked inside.

"I bought a pack of assorted sushi from the convenience store earlier, and when I ate it, I was so sure you would like it, so I just _had_ to get you one too!"

"E-eh? I would've thought you'd gotten something for your brother instead.."

"Yeah, I got him a slice of chocolate cake from the store too! Anyway, try it already!"

"Right.. Th-thanks."

Azami picked a random piece and the moment he placed it in his mouth, his eyes subconsciously widened on their own from how good it was.

"It's good... really good." Azami said after swallowing. 

"Right?! Heheh, I knew you'd like it!" Kumon exclaimed proudly and cheerfully.

"But why did you give this to me now, instead of during dinner, though?"

"'C-cuz, I uh, didn't want all the others to see that...I got only you something.." Kumon replied shyly.

Kumon's unusual shyness and the face he makes when he's embarrassed, like right now, always managed to tug on Azami's heartstrings, and even Azami was starting to feel awkward and embarrassed. They both may have also forgotten that Tsuzuru was still in the kitchen, listening to their entire conversation and trying to hold back a smile from how cute they were.

"Th-thanks.. You really didn't need to, though..." Azami said softly while looking down on his seat.

"N-no, I wanted to, so it's ok!"

Azami just nodded and slowly continued eating the rest of the sushi while questions began flooding his mind yet again. He didn't really know why they became friends so fast or how they actually got along pretty well, but he always got annoyed and confused with himself whenever he got that strange feeling in his chest whenever Kumon did something nice or....cute. He figured that Kumon is just innocent and pure like that, which would make sense, given the way he acts when it comes to his brother. 

When dinner actually came, Azami was still struggling internally with himself, and since he wasn't as hungry anymore too, the others noticed how he was barely eating.

"Azami, are you ok? You haven't touched your food much." Omi asked.

Azami started to panic in his mind when everyone else started staring at him, and without realizing at first, he glanced at Kumon, who was just subtly smiling, knowng that the sushi probably made him a bit too full for dinner.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit tired." he said as calmly as he could, and they all just brushed it off.

Azami let out a soft sigh, but then felt a pair of eyes shooting lasers into his head, and of course, it was Kumon, who was trying to hold in his giggle. He decided to just ignore him for the rest of dinner.

But this was just the start of Azami's internal conflicts.

During Autumn Troupe's practices, Kumon would often give Azami a bottle of water or sports drink when they had breaks, more often than to his brother, even. For Summer Troupe practices, Kumon would occassionally drag Azami to watch and ask for his opinions in between exercises or script run-throughs. There was also one time where Azami slept in on a school day, so Kumon snuck into his room and woke him up good by jumping onto him, though Sakyo got mad at both of them for waking him up too.

Azami was getting even more confused and frustrated the more Kumon treated him nicely. It wasn't that he didn't like the way Kumon was with him, he just started to not know how to act when he was with him nowadays. At the back of his mind, he knew that what he felt towards Kumon was something different compared to anyone else, but he refused to accept these feelings, thinking that Kumon doesn't even feel the same way towards him too. Gradually, Azami lost himself in his emotions and started to avoid Kumon whenever it was unnecessary for them to be together.

"Hey, Azami! Can you come to Summer Troupe's prac-"

"Sorry, I still have homework to do."

.......

"Azami! Wanna play base-"

"Sorry, I'm kinda tired from practice today."

This cycle went on for more than a week, and it reached a point where both of their performances in practice started to go downhill...especially Azami's.

One day, Izumi had extra work to do, so she told the troupes to practice on their own.

"Kumon, you're up." Tenma called.

"R-right!"

........

"U-uhh...Do you feel alright, Kyu-chan?" Muku asked worriedly after seeing him perform his etude pretty badly.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine!" Kumon replied as enthusiastically as he could.

"Alright then. Let's try this again." Yuki said.

The more practice dragged on, the more Kumon would lose his focus.

"Kumon, are you _really_ ok?" Tenma asked sternly after another failed attempt to make it through the same scene smoothly. 

"I.."

"Okaaay! Let's stop here for today." Yuki interrupted. "Are you ok with talking about what's bugging you?"

"S-sure..."

"No pressure, though!" Kazunari assured.

"Kumon~, hold my lucky triangle. It always makes me feel better." Misumi said as he gave him his protractor. Kumon just stared at it for a bit before smiling and thanking him and the rest of the troupe.

* * *

"Oi, Azami. That was your cue there." Banri muttered to him.

"Ah! Sorry, can we do that again?"

"*sigh* Fine, but stay focused." Sakyo warned.

.........

"Hey, A-chan. You sure you're ok?" Taichi asked worriedly after Azami flubbed his lines for almost the fifteenth time already.

"I...I'm fine. Sorry for being so slow today..."

"I think it's best for you to rest today, so you can pull yourself together for the next practices." Banri suggested.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Azami. Just take it easy today." Omi added.

"Right... Sorry again, guys." Azami said gloomily as he slowly trudged out of the practice room.

"Good work today~." Omi, Taichi and Juza said softly to him in unison, but Azami didn't look back nor say anything to them anymore as he gently shut the door behind him.

"Should we talk about what might be bothering him later?" Taichi asked.

"No. Let him solve it himself. We should only talk to him if he wants to tell us about it." Sakyo said.

When Azami got into the dorm room, he immediately plopped onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. After about ten minutes of laying in that same position, he somehow managed to organize his thoughts properly.

_"I can't be any more unreasonable and selfish than this..."_ he thought.

Though still uncertain with what to do exactly, he was already on his way to the lounge without even realizing. Immediately, he saw Kumon sitting there with the rest of Summer Troupe. It looked like they were having a pretty serious talk, but Azami tried to pretend he was just going to get something from the fridge.

"Yo, Azamin! Doesn't Autumn Troupe have practice right now?" Kazunari called out to him to also signal the other members to be quiet since they were mainly talking about him, after all.

"Ah, y-yeah.. Uh, Kumon? Can you come with me?" Azami asked awkwardly while ignoring Kazunari's question. _"Wait, what the hell did I just... I wasn't supposed to do that..!"_

"Huh? Oh, sure." he replied with an equally awkward tone and got up from his seat.

"We'll be back in a while~." Azami said blankly as he and Kumon left the dorms, leaving the others hoping they can talk things out well while they're alone. _"Great job, me..."_ Azami dreaded in his mind.

Neither of them spoke until Azami led them to the nearby convenience store.

"Pick out a drink or something. I'll pay." Azami said monotonously. 

Kumon just nodded and picked a small bottle of fruit juice from the fridge, while Azami got a bottle of iced tea. After paying, Azami brought them to the nearby park and chose a random bench for them to sit on. At first, there was only a heavy silence between them until one of them finally spoke up.

"Hey, um, I'm sorry." Azami started.

"Me too.."

"But I'm the one who has been acting selfishly lately."

"Yeah, but I'm the reason you were acting the way you did, right?" Kumon replied sadly.

Those words felt like a direct jab at Azami's heart, and he could almost feel the tears forming in his eyes. _"How could he still think of me first even after all that's happened...?"_

"Shut up..! It's all my fault! I didn't bother talking about it with you or anyone, nor did I even try thinking about it rationally until today...!" Azami protested as his voice kept cracking and tears threatened to fall even more by the second.

"I didn't even try talking about it to you either, so that puts us in the same position." Kumon tried to reply as carefree and nonchalant as he could.

"No, it doesn't! I... I started this! I didn't even have a reason for acting so cold and distant when you've been nothing but kind to me..! Literally no one else in Mankai treats me as nicely as you do!" Azami almost screamed as he looked down, trying to hide the few tears that already escaped his eyes.

Kumon didn't know what to say, but it broke his heart to see Azami in pain and misery like this. He slowly placed his hand on Azami's head and gently rubbed and patted him in an attempt to calm him down, almost similar to how Juza would pet him when he would tuck him into bed at night when they were younger. Slowly, Kumon also started to tear up, but he somehow kept them from falling out.

"You know... I do all those things to and for you _because_ you're special to me. Not in the same way as nii-chan, but....I like you, Azami. No, I love you." Kumon said as his voice continously shook out of embarrassment the more he spoke.

Azami chuckled under his breath then said, "The hell was that? Did you rehearse those lines or something?" in a sarcastic, but still sad, tone.

"I-I did not! Nevermind, I-I take back what I said!" Kumon exclaimed as he turned away and pouted while his ears and face grew redder by the second. 

"I like you, too..." Azami muttered, barely audible enough for Kumon to hear. 

Kumon quicky looked back at him in surprise and smiled to himself, though he still had his head down. He just continued to stroke Azami's head gently, while Azami slowly wrapped his wrists around Kumon's arm.

After five more minutes of staying like that, Kumon pulled his hand away. 

"Ready to go back now?"

"...Yeah."

Even when they were walking back to the dorm, Azami still mostly looked down and kept one hand around Kumon's arm. 

"You good if we go in?" Kumon asked when they reached the dorm as Azami just nodded without saying anything. 

"We're home." he said as they stepped into the dorm.

"Welcome back~." the entire Summer Troupe greeted.

"..Did you guys wait for me..?"

"Not gonna lie, yeah." Tenma said.

"...Hehe. Thanks guys, you really didn't need to." he said with an endearing smile as he glanced at Azami, who was still somewhat clinging onto him. Even if Kumon didn't say anything, the others knew they'd made up.

Kumon gestured to the dorm rooms, to which the others made room for them to pass.

"Azamin, fighto!" Kazunari cheered. 

"Mm." was all Azami said in reply.

Once they got into Azami's room, Kumon led him to his bed, but Azami refused to let go, even holding onto him with both hands now. 

"Do you feel sick, Azami?" Kumon asked worriedly since he refused to move. 

"..We should ask...shithead Sakyo...first."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"...You know...us dating.."

"O-oh, right. Should we look for him?"

Azami shook his head, and fell onto his bed, dragging Kumon with him.

"Uwaah! Azami..!"

They landed directly next to each other, then Azami hugged Kumon's arm tightly and squeezed it almost as hard as he could. 

"Ow..! You're squeezing too tight!"

Azami loosened his hold, but just enough for Kumon to relax his arm and shoulder. They both laid there in complete silence for a few long minutes, and gradually, Azami would snuggle his face closer and closer to Kumon's shoulder. 

"Hey." Azami started. 

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Why do you even like me..?"

"H-huh? Uhh...I don't really know how to express it well, but...I guess I found myself to be drawn to you more and more whenever we spent time together. You also listen to me when I start rambling about baseball, nii-chan, or whatever, without fail, and you know, it's not everyday you find someone who's willing to listen to you talk about nonsense..... Er.. I guess to make it brief, you're really kind, even if you don't think so, and above all, I get this sense of security when I'm with you that I don't get from anyone else, not even nii-chan." Kumon rambled while a light blush gradually spread across his face. 

"..Weirdo..." Azami commented while trying to hide the dumb, innocent smile forming on his face. 

"You're smiling, though!"

"..Am not..."

About ten minutes later, Sakyo finally came in and the two immediately sat up before he could see what kind of position they were in beforehand.

"Oh, were you and Kumon here the whole time? Autumn Troupe was looking for you earlier." Sakyo said, which made Azami feel a bit guilty.

"S-sort of... Anyway, we have something we want to ask you."

"Hm? What is it?"

"...We-"

"Sakyo-san, I like Azami..! Is...Is it ok if I, er, go out with him..?" Kumon interrupted, asking Sakyo as earnestly as he could, despite how embarrassed he felt to be saying this out loud to someone else so soon.

Azami quickly turned to him in complete shock, amazement, confusion, and panic all at once. Before he realized it, Sakyo was already smiling and chuckling to himself. This sight made the two of them more anxious, since Sakyo almost looked like a psychopath with the way he tried to keep his laugh in.

"You know, Bon, you don't need to get my, or anyone's permission if you want to simply date somebody. All I ask from you is that you tell me who you're going out with, you make sure that he or she is a good influence on you and on others, you'll talk to me or anyone if any problem comes up, and of course, you get your dad's permission if you want to marry when you're older."

"Ok, I get it!" Azami shouted louder than he intended out of embarrassment and panic. "Th-thanks, I guess..." he continued meekly while his cheeks slowly started to flush.

"Heh. I think Kumon is already a great influence on you." Sakyo teased.

"Shut up, shithead Sakyo..!" Azami shouted as Sakyo and Kumon just laughed at him.

"Hmph. Two troupe mates of ours could learn a thing or two from both of you..." Sakyo muttered to himself.

"What was that..?!" Azami hissed.

"Nothing _you_ need to know." Sakyo retorted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 is coming out soon! i hope you guys enjoyed it so far!!:))
> 
> i also keep forgetting that autumn troupe's dorms r supposed to be on the first floor...


	2. A Sweet Romance

After dinner, Azami went to the balcony and stood by the ledge while using his phone.

"Azami!"

Azami turned around to see, none other than Kumon, who was already walking towards him. He stood beside Azami and stared up into the night sky. Azami put his phone away and joined Kumon in stargazing.

"..."

"..."

"..Uh.. Thanks for, well, what you did earlier." Azami said shyly.

"Huh? You don't need to thank me! I just felt like I had to be the one speaking out.."

"..Heh. Whatever you say..." Azami said while a smile formed on his lips.

"You seemed happy after I did, though!"

"Haah? Do you hear yourself?! I was terrified, if anything!"

"Yeah, but when Sakyo started speaking, you looked pretty happy to me."

"..You're just imagining things."

"Now who's the one that's _really_ imagining things here?"

Azami just smiled and bumped Kumon's shoulder with his elbow. Kumon did it back, and they continued with their back and forth a little longer until Kumon quickly and sneakily linked his arm with Azami's after hitting him back.

"I'll punch you instead, if you don't let go." Azami threatened teasingly.

"You wouldn't...!" Kumon replied almost confidently, to which Azami used his other arm to punch his shoulder while controlling his strength, of course.

"Ow..! Wait, that actually kinda hurt..."

"Ahh? I thought you'd be stronger than that, given that your athletic and all."

"That doesn't mean my pain tolerance is as good too!"

They both continued their little banter without realizing that their arms were still linked and that behind them was the rest of Summer Troupe stalking them by the door with only their heads peeking out.

"Aww..! They really did make up." Kazunari said lovingly.

"And by the looks of it, it's more than just that..." Tenma added.

"I can't tell if you sound disgusted or jealous." Yuki said.

"What the hell..?! I don't feel either of those!"

"Shh..! They'll hear you..." Misumi warned.

"You ok there, Mukkun?" Kazunari asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm good.." Muku replied while he smiled softly at Kumon and Azami.

"Why do you keep staring at them like that? It's kinda creepy..." Yuki remarked.

"...Kyu-chan's just been telling me so much about Azami-kun for the past month, so I figured he must have had a crush on him, then a few days ago, Kyu-chan told me he really did like Azami-kun that way."

"Aww! They really are cute!" Misumi exclaimed softly.

"Wow~. Does Juza-san know about this?" Tenma asked.

"Hmm... I'm not actually sure. I've never talked about it with him."

"We should probably leave them alone now. I think we've done more than enough at this point." Yuki said as the others agreed and quietly shut the door.

"Hey, did you hear something?" Azami asked.

"I don't think so..?"

"Whatever. Anyway, do you...wanna go out this Saturday? You know, if you're free, that is..." Azami asked as his voice trailed off the more he spoke.

"Sure! I can't wait! Hehe!" Kumon exclaimed excitedly, almost like a puppy.

Azami smiled at him with the most loving and endearing expression he'd ever put on his face.

"Me too..."

For the remainder of the weekdays, both Kumon and Azami were almost always in high spirits, and even outshined the others during practices often.

"So, is it true, Kumon?" Tenma asked during one of their breaks.

"What is?"

"You know, you and Azami being a thing now." he replied with a slightly louder voice to get the attention of the other members. Kumon noticed this but he didn't intend to hide it from them anyway.

"Y-yeah."

"Hehe! Congrats, Kyu-chan!"

"No wonder you've been in such a good mood during practice." Yuki commented.

"Yep, yep! Glad things turned out well for you guys, Kumoppi!" Kazunari exclaimed.

"Congrats, Kumon~! Have a super triangle as a present from me!" Misumi added as he handed Kumon a triangle plushie.

"Thanks guys!" Kumon exclaimed with a beaming smile.

* * *

"Whoa, what the fuck?" Banri muttered from the sidelines while watching Azami practice etudes with Juza.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Omi asked.

"No. The opposite, in fact. Azami's been doing way too good lately, it kinda pisses me off..."

"A-chan does seem to look so much lighter now, like, he's been glowing lately, you know?" Taichi exclaimed. 

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, that's true." Omi said.

Sakyo just huffed softly to himself and smiled subtly.

"Oi, Sakyo-san. Is there something you know that we don't?" Banri hissed.

"Me? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ok, great job, Juza-kun and Azami-kun! Let's take a five minute break." Izumi said.

"Hey, Azami. You been practicing more lately or somethin'?" Juza asked while they drank water.

"Hah? No, I haven't... Why?"

"No reason. You've just been doing a lot better in practice lately, so I thought something might've happened." at this, Banri's head perked up in curiosity of their conversation.

"No fucking way. Something had to have happened, so spill it." Banri insisted.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Banri." Azami casually denied as he quickly glanced at Sakyo, who was just smiling to himself in amusement.

The rest of the week went by quickly, even if Kumon and Azami didn't always spend their free time together, but when Saturday came, both of them were excited to spend the whole day together.

"Hey Kumon, wanna have lunch somewhere?" Juza asked as Kumon ate his light breakfast.

"Hn...I'd love to, but I already made plans with Azami today, so let's go tomorrow or something!" he replied cheerfully as he quickly finished his food, put his plate by the sink, and dashed back to his room to get changed.

"Whoa, that's the first time I've seen your brother reject you so strongly.." Banri commented in shock.

"Honestly, me too..." Juza replied, equally as shocked. "Hey, Muku." he called from the dining table to Muku who was sitting in the lounge reading manga.

"Yeah? What is it, Juchan?"

"Did Kumon and Azami..."

"Hehe! Yep! Did you only figure out now?"

"I had my hunches since before, but I didn't think it would happen this soon..." Juza said with a mix of negative emotions in his voice.

"Oi. What the fuck are you guys talking about?" Banri asked.

"Don't tell him, Mukkun~!" Kazunari exclaimed teasingly from his seat in the lounge too.

"Shut the fuck up, Kazunari! Is it bad if I know what's going on or something?!"

"Hey, I'm curious too, you know." Omi joined the conversation from his spot in the kitchen.

"Geez. Just tell them already. The whole dorm is gonna find out eventually, one way or another." Yuki said.

"Hehe! Okay." Muku started. "Kyu-chan and Azami-kun got together recently..!"

"Did I hear that correctly...?!" Taichi asked as he came in from the courtyard. 

"Yep." Juza confirmed.

"No way..." Taichi muttered in disbelief.

"I _knew_ something happened to Azami! No fucking way he could've gotten so much better in practice all of a sudden..!" Banri exclaimed.

"Whoa, hey, calm down a bit, Banri-san. I could hear you from all the way up the stairs." Tenma said as he just entered the lounge.

"Hnngh...! I'm so jealous, but I'm really happy for them!" Taichi exclaimed.

"You're jealous that he has a date or that he has a boyfriend?" Yuki asked sarcastically. 

"That he has a date, of course! You know I'm not into guys, Yuki-chan!"

"Ooh! What's everyone doing here~?" Misumi asked as he just entered from the front door.

"Not much. We were just talking about Azami and Kumon." Omi replied.

"What's with all the ruckus in here?!" Sakyo yelled as he came in from the courtyard.

"Oh, Sakyo-san. I'm sure you would already know." Muku said mischievously. 

"Ah...Is this about Bon?" to this, Muku nodded.

"Yep, I figured. Other than Muku, I was probably the first to know."

"What do you mean by that?" Yuki asked.

"Those two..." he started, but had to control himself from laughing. "they even asked me if they could go out together and all that."

"What the fuck...?" Banri muttered out loud in shock and amazement, followed by Summer Troupe, Taichi, and Omi trying to hold in their laughs.

"Now that I think about it, A-chan did tell me about asking permission from the parents before dating, and a whole process that came after that. He even said that kissing comes after marriage..!" Taichi added, which made everyone burst into laughter, especially Summer Troupe.

"I don't know if I should laugh or feel bad for Kumoppi now..!" Kazunari said. 

"He's probably gonna have a hard time." Omi added.

"But they're still really cute together!" Misumi exclaimed. 

While the others laughed and chatted away, Banri noticed how Juza had clammed up and barely reacted to anything they said. 

"Oi. The fuck're you so quiet for?" Banri asked loud enough for only Juza to hear him. 

"Hah? 'm not."

"I havent heard you say anything or react at all for the past ten minutes, idiot..! How the fuck is that _not_ quiet?"

"..."

"What, you sad, worried or jealous, or something?"

"So what if I am..?" Juza answered meekly, which caught Banri off guard. It was the first time he'd ever responded so vulnerably, other than that time he thanked him for stepping in to help stand-in for Kumon if he wasn't well enough for their performance. 

"..Which one?"

"....All."

"I get why you're sad and worried, but you're also jealous? What the fuck..?"

"I mean, I'm happy for him, yeah, but 's 'cuz I........" Juza said as his voice gradually trailed off to the point Banri couldn't hear anything.

"The hell was that...?"

"...'s nothing."

"Oi. You better finish what you said, or I'll announce how you feel right now to everyone."

Juza didn't want Banri to expose him feeling jealous, so he then sighed softly to himself before grabbing Banri's wrist and pulling him down from where he sat on the dining table so that Banri's head was just slightly above Juza's.

"O-oi, Hyo-!"

"'s 'cuz I....I like..you..." Juza whispered sensually to Banri's ear, though he didn't intend to sound that way, before releasing Banri with a slight push.

In his mind, Banri was more than ready to make a snarky remark to his confession, but his actions had betrayed him when he subconsciously covered his lips with the back of his hand, and his face started to flush incredibly fast.

Juza would've loved to see Banri look _this_ embarrassed, but he was too busy cursing himself in his mind for confessing so pathetically and at such an awkward time too.

Suddenly, Banri grabbed Juza by the nape and slammed his face on the table a bit harder than he had intended, his face and ears still burning a bright shade of red. The others suddenly stopped talking and laughing to check the source of the sudden noise.

Before Juza could even get a word in, Banri had already dashed out to the courtyard and to the dorm rooms, barely dodging Azami who had just come in, dressed casually but nicely in a simple t-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers with light makeup on his face, clearly ready for his date with Kumon.

"Uhh... What just happened?" Azami asked the others, followed by a bang from the door of room 104.

"We don't know, either..." Tenma replied.

"We didn't even know those two were talking to each other, actually." Kazunari added.

"...I'll go talk to him." Juza said as he stood up with wobbly feet.

"Hey, Juza, are you ok? He did hit you pretty hard there." Omi asked worriedly.

"'s fine. I'll just walk it off." he replied as he already exited the lounge and closed the door behind him.

"Soooo, Azamin. Where're you going?" Kazunari asked curiously, even though he and everyone else in the lounge already knew what was happening. 

"Uh.. The mall." he replied somewhat uncomfortably with how Kazunari sounded when he asked that question. 

"With who?" Taichi asked, using the same tone Kazunari used.

Azami sighed before replying, "You guys already know, don't you..? in a dreadful tone.

"Yep, and you have us and money-grubber yakuza to thank." Yuki said sarcastically. 

"Well, the only ones who actually found out a while ago were the rest of Autumn Troupe. No one else was here." Tenma added.

"....I guess it was bound to happen anyway."

"Haha, you don't need to be shy, we're happy for you, you know?" Omi said while Taichi nodded and smiled too.

"Th-thanks.." Azami said shyly. 

Just then, Kumon rushed in, dressed in a striped t-shirt, black joggers, and light grey sneakers, worried that he'd kept Azami waiting.

"Took you long enough." Azami scolded.

"Sorry sorry! I just couldn't decide what to wear!" Kumon apologized with a goofy smile.

"..Hmph. Whatever, let's go." Azami said while trying to suppress the smile that was forming on his face.

"Yeah!"

"We'll be going~!" they both said to the others at the same time.

After the two left, the remaining Summer and Autumn Troupe members remained quiet until Taichi exclaimed,

"Hrrrmm...! They're so cute! I didn't know A-chan was capable of looking so soft!"

"See? They really are cute~!" Misumi said.

"Even I've never seen Bon look so happy with someone else.." Sakyo commented.

"Whoa, seriously?!" Kazunari asked in shock.

"The only other times he actually looks that happy is when he gets a new makeup set, or does makeup in general."

"Hehe! I guess that means he really likes Kyu-chan, huh?" Muku said happily.

At the mall, Azami and Kumon first decided to eat lunch at a new ramen place that recently opened. Afterwards, they went to play at the arcade. When one of them played a solo game, the one who was only watching usually took pictures or videos of the other, often without being noticed, but whenever Kumon noticed Azami either taking videos of him or checking how they turned out in his phone, like right now, he always caught the way his lips curved into a soft smile each time, which made him feel as if time slowed down and that his surroundings had blurred so that he can see Azami only.

"Hey, you're running out of time." Azami pointed out, which snapped Kumon back to his senses.

"Huh..? Wah! You're right!" he yelped as he rushed to rack up on points.

After the arcade, Azami spotted a cosmetics store that he wanted to check and dragged Kumon in with him.

"...This blush really suits your skin tone." Azami said, holding it next to Kumon's face. "It's gentle on the skin too, so I'll buy it for you. I could probably use it on you in your next performance too." he continued with a pleased smile.

"Wait, I can use my own-"

"You should also use this face mask. It'll keep your face soft and moisturized without making it oily." Azami said as he put it into the basket too. At the rate he was going, it was almost like he was teleporting here and there throughout the store.

"Aza-"

"This foundation looks good too, plus the reviews online say it blends well with other makeup products."

"Seriously, please sto-"

"Whoa, I heard this toner cleans your face well, and it's even non-alcoholic. You'll need this if you're gonna clean your face properly."

"A-"

"Oh, mascara will come in handy sometime, so-"

"AZAMI!" Kumon half yelled, which made him jump and immediately turn his attention to Kumon. "As I've been trying to say, I can use my own money for these things, and besides, why are you looking for products for me, instead of yourself?"

Azami only then realized that most of the items in his basket were things he'd picked out for Kumon. "I..uh...I-I don't know... I couldn't help it, I guess..." he said with a blush he couldn't hide at that moment.

Kumon was taken aback for a second from how embarrassed Azami was before smiling endearingly and replying, "You really are adorable!" while suddenly hugging and squeezing him tightly.

"Sh-shut up..!" Azami replied bashfully as he put a hand on Kumon's shoulder. 

After that, the two had a small argument on whether Kumon or Azami would pay for the things he picked out, and eventually, Kumon reluctantly agreed that Azami would only buy him the toner and foundation.

"Think of it as a makeup artist's expenses" Azami said.

After paying for the cosmetics, they walked around the mall until Kumon saw a shoe store he wanted to check out.

"Ooh! You should get these for practices! I have a pair of the same brand at home and they're really good for any physical activity!" Kumon said excitedly while pointing at one of the shelves.

"Huh? N-nah, I'm good, really."

"Nooo! It's a necessity, and you'll need a new pair soon, if not now, you know!"

"My practice shoes now are just fine."

"No, they're not! I watch your practices a lot, so I can clearly see how good or bad they are right now!"

"Ok, fine, but don't even try paying for it."

"Nope! I'm gonna pay this time whether you like it or not!"

"What the fuck...?" Azami muttered loud enough for only Kumon to hear. "Is this the only reason we came to this store..?" he asked.

"Maybe~!" Kumon teased.

Azami just sighed somewhat in defeat, picked out a pair that had a blue base and red for the designs and brand logo, tried them on, and went to Kumon who was already waiting by the cashier. Azami hoped he could secretly pay for it himself, but Kumon already beat him to it.

After paying, they both found a cafe they could relax in and get drinks. They engaged in lots of small talk for more than an hour before they had to go home for dinner.

"We're home!" Kumon said as they entered the dorms.

"Welcome back, guys~!" Izumi, Omi, and Misumi greeted.

"Did you guys have fun today?" Omi asked.

"Yeah!" Kumon exclaimed. 

"Dinner's almost ready, so you guys should put your stuff in your rooms first." Izumi said.

"Ok~." they both replied in unison.

Not everyone was there during dinner since some of them either had extra work or had some stuff to take care of first, so dinner went by faster than usual.

Later that night, Azami couldn't sleep and was still restless from his date with Kumon. He turned to grab his phone and check the time, 1:12 AM. He quietly got up from his bed and left the room, careful not to wake Sakyo, and headed to the balcony upstairs.

He stood by the ledge, and stared at the stars and the moon before sighing to himself. _"When was the last time I couldn't sleep at night, huh..?"_

About five minutes later, he heard the door open and he instinctively turned around to see who else was still up at this time.

"You too, huh?" Azami said.

"Yeah, I'm still pretty hyper from yesterday." Kumon said as he joined him by the ledge.

"Me too..."

They both just quietly stared at the sky, side by side, for the next few minutes before getting back to the conversation.

"Did you have fun yesterday?" Kumon asked.

"Of course."

"What do you wanna do on our next date?"

"U-um.." Azami stuttered out of shyness from how casual Kumon said "date". "I don't know. Haven't thought about it yet."

"Hmm... I wouldn't call it a date idea, but I wanna do street acts with you sometime."

"Really? We can go anytime, you know. Wanna do some in the afternoon later?"

"Yeah! Hehe, can't wait!"

"...Hmph. Who's really the adorable one here?" Azami muttered softly to himself. 

"Did you say something?"

"Nope."

"You did! I heard your voice!"

"You're just hearing things." Azami teased while successfully hiding a smirk.

"Liar! I know I heard you...!" Kumon exclaimed with a pout as he lightly punched Azami.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever will help you sleep at night." Azami said while punching him back.

This went on for the next few minutes until Kumon dodged one of Azami's punches and swiftly hugged him from the side, leaving him stuck and motionless. Azami huffed slightly and smiled at Kumon.

"Didn't something like this happen just recently too?" he asked.

"Yeah! I even made sure not to make the same mistake as last time!"

They both stayed in that position while looking at the stars again, and eventually Azami subconsciously wrapped his arm around Kumon's waist when his hold on him loosened. 

"Hey, Azami." Kumon called in a more serious tone than usual.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Can I kiss you?" he replied with his cheerful voice and childish smile all of a sudden.

"Haah..?! I-I...um...!"

"Please? Even just on the cheek?" Kumon continued to beg like a puppy while still hugging him.

Azami had never felt himself become embarrassed and red in the face so quickly in his whole life, and he may have even forgot to breathe properly for a while. _"I mean, Sakyo basically said it's fine to do whatever I want as long as there's no trouble and all, so this is fine, right..? RIGHT?"_

"U-uh..Wh-what the hell is with this all of a sudden..?!"

"No reason. I just want to! I always feel so calm and happy when I'm with you, that's all."

"U-umm... O..kay..?"

"I can? Yay!"

Azami turned his head to look at Kumon's expression without realizing, but at the same time, Kumon had lunged upward to supposedly kiss his cheek, so instead, he accidentally ended up kissing him on the lips. Azami gaped and his eyes shot open in shock, but the constant reminder that Sakyo gave him a lot of freedom when it comes to dating kept him from pulling away and helped him relax.

Kumon was almost as shocked as Azami and he would have pulled away if he did too, but the longer he waited to be pushed away, he started to think that Azami didn't actually mind this. He tried to hug him tighter to see how he would react, and much to his surprise, Azami brought his other arm up to completely wrap both arms around Kumon's waist.

Even though the kiss was sweet and gentle, it felt like it had been more than five minutes since they started. When they finally pulled away, they both stared at each other directly in the eyes ecstatically at first, but then it soon turned into awkwardness.

"S-sorry..." Kumon apologized. 

"No, i-it's fine.."

"..Did it bother you?"

"At first, yeah, but, uh..it wasn't actually so bad..." Azami reluctantly and bashfully admitted.

"Hehe! So I didn't ruin your first kiss!"

"What..?! O-of course you didn't! It's you, after all..." Azami exclaimed but his voice quickly softened towards the end.

Kumon beamed upon hearing that and looked up at Azami, who looked back at him but still couldn't calm down. He squeezed Azami very tightly again, and snuggled his face into his chest. Azami slowly started to return to a normal state of mind, and hugged back when Kumon's grip slowly lost its strength.

A few minutes later, Azami noticed Kumon's breathing had slowed.

"Hey, don't fall asleep here." Azami said.

"But you're too comfy..." Kumon said while snuggling his face into his neck now.

Azami got ticklish for a second, but replied, "Go sleep on your bed."

"Only if you'll be with me..."

Azami didn't want them to be caught _sleeping together_ , even if the situation was innocent. He really didn't want certain people getting any ideas, and he especially didn't want Sakyo hearing any strange news about him.

"Ugh.. Ok, ok, fine. Now let's go."

"Carry me~...."

"No..! You have your own pair of legs, so use them...!"

Kumon just grumbled and put even more weight onto Azami.

"Gh..! God, how the hell are you even older than me...?" Azami said as he picked Kumon up bridal style and quietly walked to his and Misumi's room.

When Azami tucked him into his bed, he turned to go to his own room, but Kumon grabbed his wrist before he went too far from him.

"Stay...." Kumon said sleepily.

"...Only for a while.."

Kumon tugged Azami into his bed, and he reluctantly laid next to him without the blanket covering him anymore. Kumon hugged him softly and crawled up to his chest while Azami gently stroked his hair and forehead.

When Azami figured Kumon had fallen asleep, he continued his gentle strokes for a few more minutes before deciding to go back to his room. He slowly and carefully removed Kumon's arms from him, and without thinking, he leaned down to gently kiss his forehead, then carefully made his way out of the room.

Only when he stepped out did he realize what he did before leaving. He was embarrassed with himself, but he tried to brush it off since no one else will know about it anyway.

He quietly returned to his room and carefully made his way to his bed. Before going to sleep, he checked the time again, 3:06 AM. He sighed softly and curled up under the sheets. While thinking about that morning's and yesterday's events, he fell asleep with a little smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry azami anyway thanks for reading and i hope this turned out ok!!:'))


	3. Vulnerable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> surprise banju/juban chapter!! this starts from when Banri ran into their room after Juza's confession:33
> 
> also, this chapter is R-18, so if u want, leave while u still can lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love this ship too much and im really fckin thirsty for more content, so im feeding myself thru this yet again lol

Standing in front of his and Banri's room, Juza took a deep breath before going in and confronting Banri about what happened earlier. When he stepped inside, he saw his roommate curled up under his sheets while playing a game on his phone with almost maximum volume. 

"Settsu."

"..."

"Oi."

"..."

"Oi, Settsu!"

"...The fuck you want..?" Banri groaned without moving an inch from his spot.

"...What the hell was with your reaction earlier?" Juza asked while trying to sound threatening and annoyed, but his face was actually filled with embarrassment. 

"..Didn't want you to one-up me there, I guess."

"Yet here ya are, moping and hiding under your bed like a kid."

"Who the fuck are you calling a kid?!" Banri yelled as he quickly threw the sheets off of him and sat up.

"Then explain yourself properly!"

Banri froze and choked on any words that were meant to come out. He eventually got out of his bed and stood a few feet away from him, but he still couldn't bring himself to speak; his pride didn't allow him to respond the way he should to Juza's confession.

"Oi. If you don't say anything, then I'll assume it's mutual." Juza provoked.

"Then of course I don't feel the same way! Why would anyone want to go for an asshole like you anyway?!" Banri blurted out, even though he felt a sad and aching feeling in his chest.

"'Kay, but why're you and your voice shaking, then?" Juza asked calmly.

"Haah?" Banri hadn't realized until then that his hands were shaking slowly but almost uncontrollably, and even if he couldn't see himself at the moment, he knew the kind of expression he had on his face was pathetic. "Shut up! I'm not!" he exclaimed as he threw a half-assed punch at him.

Juza easily dodged it and grabbed the same fist Banri used to punch him, then pulled him in until they could feel each other's breaths on their faces.

"Cut the bullshit, Settsu. You're jus' making yourself look more stupid."

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about..!"

"Stubborn as always, huh? Fine, guess I'll just just have to put the words in your mouth then."

After saying this, Juza leaned forward to close the gap between their lips. Banri desperately struggled to push him away until Juza tightened his grip on his hand and wrapped his other arm around his waist. Using his free hand, Banri continuously hit the other's shoulder in a pitiful attempt to make him let go.

Instead of getting hurt or reacting in any way Banri had hoped, Juza licked his lower lip instead, which made him moan out of shock, but also gradually lose strength in his upper body, and the fist that attempted to punch him earlier fell onto his shoulder, to which Juza guided it to wrap around his neck, and without thinking, Banri had secured his hold on him while Juza put his now free hand around the brunette's waist too.

Now finding its way into Banri's mouth, Juza's tongue explored every inch of it, finding a good spot to lick or suck, and get a good reaction out of the other. In the midst of this, Banri's free hand slowly made its way to Juza's shoulder, then eventually around his neck as well, all the while poorly trying to suppress any moans Juza elicited from him.

When he found a sweet spot, Banri couldn't keep in a low yet sweet moan and pulled his head back, but still held onto the other nonetheless.

"Ready to finally confess yet?" Juza taunted.

"Nope. Never." Banri insisted with a little smirk, despite how clearly dazed he was.

"Suit yourself then." Juza whispered as he pulled him back in for another heated kiss.

Even if they just started again, Juza could feel that Banri was already losing strength in his arms and knees, so he carefully brought him to the sofa and laid him down without breaking the kiss.

Unlike the first makeout session, Banri put in more effort to the kiss and somewhat tried to bring out a reaction from the other. Much to Juza's surprise, Banri took the initiative to quickly slip his tongue into his mouth this time. Of course, Juza didn't want to be outdone, so they started to fight for the upper hand.

Both of them refused to back down, and it soon turned into a battle of stamina and endurance. Despite how light-headed he was feeling, Banri somehow managed to elicit as much reactions from his rival as he did with him.

Since Juza had the advantage of being on top, he easily slid one hand under Banri's shirt and started to caress his chest with a gentleness and meticulousness unimaginable to anyone who doesn't know him well enough. This would have made Banri pull back just like the first time, except he couldn't, now that he was laying down on the sofa. Instead, his momentum from earlier was broken, and before Juza could take advantage of that, in a weak and pathetic voice, he called out to him.

"O-oi..Hyo..do..."

Juza pulled himself away and looked down at Banri's ecstatic and completely flushed face.

"...Tch.." Banri clicked his tongue before speaking and looked to his side instead of the person on top of him. "F-fine! I'll say it already, ok..?! Yeah, I feel the same as you do..! There! Happy?!" he exclaimed with a broken pitch and face tinged with red. 

Juza became stunned upon hearing that, even forgetting midway that Banri hadn't even said anything about his feelings prior to that. He couldn't really be blamed for it though, since Banri was kissing back with just about as much passion as him. 

He let out a small huff, and smiled before gently holding Banri's chin to turn his gaze at him. In his mind, he wanted to make his rival say the words _I like you_ , not just to humiliate him, but also because he explicitly told him those words first earlier.

"You just gonna stare at me or what?" Banri said in his usual irritated voice that was only used on the other on a daily basis.

"'s unfair that only I properly confessed.

"Hah?! What's-" Banri snapped but was interrupted when Juza just instantly crushed his lips to his, probably to shut him up.

Though still somewhat angry from that conversation, Banri couldn't stop himself from melting and getting into it too, and almost reflexively, his arms slowly wriggled their way around Juza's neck again.

While peppering small and gentle kisses on Banri's lips, Juza slowly trailed down to his chin, then to his neck before quickly removing his shirt. The brunette could no longer contain his moans with the growing pleasure from Juza kissing and sucking on random spots all over his neck and chest, all the while leaving a sloppy trail of saliva and prying for a sweet spot.

Banri grabbed Juza's hair with one hand, tugging at it harshly, while digging his nails deep into his shoulder with the other hand to try and relieve some of the physical tension he felt and to suppress his voice as much as he could.

Juza writhed a little from the gradually increasing pain on his shoulder, but the way Banri was coping up at the moment made him feel even more encouraged than before; kissing, sucking, and touching him more roughly but also more passionately. He noticed how Banri was struggling even more to supress his voice, but what worried him was that it seemed like Banri wasn't breathing properly anymore from all the resisting.

"Stop holding back, Settsu."

Something about the way Juza said his name sent butterflies into Banri's core, but as if he'd ever admit that to him.

"Shut up..!" he yelled while trying to catch his breath.

"See? You're out of breath now.."

"Fuck off, asshole!" 

Immediately after that, Banri sat up slightly and pulled him into a rough kiss. As their tongues entangled together, Banri found an opportunity to sort of flip their positions, but more accurately to at least be able to sit on Juza's lap instead. Juza expressed signs of shock from the sudden change of positions, but did nothing to resist.

Pulling away briefly, Banri swiftly removed Juza's shirt before diving right back in, but this time doing what the other did earlier: kissing and sucking on his neck.

It was now Juza's turn to be on the receiving end.... or so Banri thought until Juza, not wanting to be outdone again, started to make his way towards his pants, quickly undoing his belt until Banri stopped him and protested before he could finish.

"Oi..! Don't you fucking dare...!"

"You say that, but you're rock hard down there."

"I...!" Banri stuttered out of embarrassment and his face somehow flushed an even darker shade of red. "S-so are you, you know..!" 

"Then do it to me too." 

"H-haah..?!"

Before Banri could protest any further, Juza had already removed his belt completely and tossed it to the floor.

"Shit...!"

Banri hastily undid Juza's as well, and gulped when he was about to undo his button and zipper, but before he had any time to mentally prepare himself, Juza was already about to stick his hand into Banri's pants.

"You fuckin'..!"

Banri then pushed away any thoughts of embarrassment and did the same as Juza, even pulling his pants down a little so that his dick would come out completely. Juza was a little shocked, but nonetheless did the same to him. 

They both hesitated at first and both their faces seemed to heat up even more, if that was actually still possible at this point, until they both simultaneously reached for each other's lengths. In an effort to relieve the air of awkwardness settling between them, Banri used his other hand to gently lift Juza's head and went in for another kiss while still pumping him at a steadily increasing tempo, and Juza somehow managed to keep up with his speed while still kissing back. 

At first, it was more like a competition on who could make who feel better than the other.

"Damn...You're really bad at this.." Banri sneered with a smirk.

"You're..no better..."

"Hmph...We'll...see about..that..!"

Immediately, Banri rubbed his hand up and down the other's dick faster, and oftentimes circled his thumb around the slit in a teasing manner, which drove Juza closer to the edge. Though feeling like his body was losing strength, Juza picked up the pace and gently massaged the head of Banri's too. 

Juza heard the other curse under his breath, which was a sign of victory to him, and even though he was also feeling just as good, he didn't let it show. With a pleased smirk, Juza pulled him into another kiss, both quickly slipping their tongues into each other's mouths.

The more heated and intense the kiss became, so did the strokes they were giving each other. They both gradually lost themselves in the act; their eyes heavy and dazed, breaths uneven, thoughts cloudy, and bodies going numb from extreme pleasure.

"H..Hyo..do...I'm..close...!"

"Gh...! M-me too..."

"Haah...! Mm..! Shit...!"

With one last hard stroke from each of them, they both pulled away from the kiss and came at the same time while squeezing their eyes shut. When they both finished with their release, they slowly reopened their eyes to look at each other in ecstasy and panted heavily.

"H..Hyodo..."

"..Hm..?"

"..I.....like you too..."

"Yeah..no shit.." 

Not having enough energy to tease him more than that, Juza pulled him into a gentle kiss before he could say anything back to him. Not having the energy to resist or say anything either, Banri let himself melt back into it.

After pulling away a minute later, they both agreed to go shower together. At first, there was only silence between them, and the only thing they could hear was the sound of running water.

"...Hey." Juza started.

"Yeah?"

Juza awkwardly turned to him and pecked him on the lips.

"I, uh...didn't know what to say to ya, so..yeah..."

Banri was surprised from the awkward kiss, but also because he sort of realized how much he's actually thinking about him and, well, _them_ , but he couldn't help but make fun of him, as usual.

"Pfft! Ahahaha! What the hell was that, idiot?! Hahaha!"

"Shut up! Wouldn't think you liked that awkward silence earlier either."

"Ahaha! Sorry sorry, that was just.. really stupid, ya know?"

"Stupid like you."

"But you love me anyway~." Banri said with his confident shit-eating grin.

"'Kay, so why do you like _me_ then?" Juza retorted before he could show any shyness from Banri's comeback.

Banri clammed up at the question, which put a satisfying grin on Juza's face.

"Well?"

"Shut up! I..uh..I don't know! I don't even know how or when I started to have...different feelings towards you.. I just feel..a spark or somethin' with you that's just way different from everyone else, I guess.." Banri said as shyness started to take over towards the end. "But no way am I still gonna lose to ya, got it?!"

Juza had shock and almost disbelief written all over his face for a few seconds before he smiled and replied,

"Hmph. Right back at ya, asshole."

"So, I'd say it's my turn to ask: why do _you_ like me?"

Now it was Juza's turn to freeze up. He pondered on the question for a while before answering.

"...'m not so sure either, to be honest. Even though we're always fighting and yellin' at each other, 's not as if I don't trust and care for you, and..."

"And?"

"Shit's never boring when you're around...I guess."

Banri could've sworn his face had started to flush again, but he did his best to keep it from showing. He wanted to make a witty comeback to his last statement, but no matter what came to his head, it all just connected to how he always bothers him, even at the most unnecessary moments, so instead of that, he meekly nodded to his explanation. 

"What, got no insult or comeback this time?" Juza teased.

"Shut up! You should be grateful!"

Juza just huffed softly, smiled and gently cupped Banri's cheek before leaning in for a kiss. As if on instinct, Banri held onto the hand that cupped his cheek and his other hand made its way to Juza's free hand and intertwined their fingers. There was nothing intense about the kiss, and for the second time that day, it was one that was just sweet, sincere, and surprisingly enough, full of love. The words they shared may not have been the best way to express their feelings for each other, but if they couldn't open their hearts through words, they could at least do it through actions.

After pulling away, Juza leaned in close to Banri's ear and whispered,

"But I sometimes like it when we fight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol take a shot every time i paused and cringed at myself:DD anyway, i hope this whole fic was a good read and hopefully u fellow sinners enjoyed this chapter;))


End file.
